A Flower in War

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Taos Family

"A date? Like just us?" Cal smiles, watching Robby nod excitedly.
"We don't get a lot of time alone anymore, and believe me I love your family. I love how much you all lean on each other. I just want some time alone with my girlfriend. So, take out and a drive-in movie with your fiendishly handsome boyfriend?"
"Fiendishly handsome you say?"
"Oh yeah, I mean from what you've told me at least." Robby shrugs jokingly.
"All right, go tell Aunt Amanda and Uncle Danny while I get ready so they know we aren't dead in a ditch somewhere!" Robby laughs, nodding his head before leaving a soft kiss on Cal's forehead and letting her get ready.

In the middle of Cal curling her hair, her door opens softly, revealing a smiling Sam.
"They're giving him another talk." Sam laughs.
"Oh god. He's gonna be totally over me by the time they're done."
"I don't think that's possible. He's saying all the right things. That he respects you, loves you, wants the best for you, would never jeopardise your life or your family, and how much he wants to be there for you and for this family and how grateful he is for our trust in him." Cal blushes, setting her curler down so she doesn't burn the side of her face.
"He loves you Cal. He even sees a future with you."
"He does?"
"That's what he told my parents."
"No surely not." Cal laughs, playing with her fingers lightly.
"Thought you'd say that." Sam smirks, pulling out her phone, hitting play on a voice memo.

"I love her Mister and Mrs. LaRusso, she's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I have no plans to let her go or endanger her in any way."
"You want to be with her?"
"For as long as she'll have me, especially if she'll have me forever."
"Forever? Robby you're 16!"
"I know, I know it sounds ridiculous. I know we're just kids, but I can't imagine my life without her in it. She changed me fundamentally on so many levels. She taught me kindness in adversity, strength when I'm weak, love in the face of so much hate and hurt. She showed me how to be a good person, someone I could be proud of, someone you could be proud of. I love her. I'm always going to love her because she's the first person that ever showed me love, and she showed it to me when I didn't deserve it, when I didn't deserve her. I am who I am today because of her and I can never repay that, but I want to try."

Cal wipes some tears that had fallen down her face and hands the phone back to Sam, who hugs her tightly.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just can't believe he loves me that much."
"Believe it flower." Robby smiles from the doorway. Sam nods to him before squeezing Cal one last time and leaving them to talk.
Robby strides over to her, kneeling in front of her and holding her hands, "I love you Calanthe. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"No! No! You didn't! I've just never had someone say those things and actually mean them."
"You deserve that and more. I'm glad I can be that someone for you." Robby smiles, holding her cheek.
"Me too." Cal laughs, holding the hand on her cheek.

They both jump at the sound of Cal's phone, laughing as she grabs it.
"It's my family back in Taos... well my hospital family."
"You should answer it." Robby smiles, turning to leave.
"Would you like to meet them?" Robby stops and turns on his heel.
"I... yeah flower, I would really like to meet them." He nods, walking back and sitting on the edge of the bed with her.
"They've been wanting to meet you too."
"You told them about me?"
"Course." Cal smiles, answering the call.

"Hey! It's our baby doll!" Dr. Kim smiles, putting her phone down in the conference room so everyone can see Cal.
"Hi everyone! I have a long awaited guest with me!" Cal says excitedly, handing the phone to Robby.
"Oh my stars! He is beautiful!" Nurse Nancy titters, making Cal laugh.
"Hi, I'm Robby Keene."
"Oh we know all about you sugar!" Dr. Merchant smiles.
"But he doesn't know all of you, so introduce yourselves!"

"Right! Well, I'm Dr. Kim, I'm Cal's godmother and the executor to her father's estate."
Dr. Kim hands the phone to the bright, bubbly woman that called Robby beautiful, "I'm Nurse Nancy! I worked closely with Cal's late father. He was the one that helped me in my first years of residency and made me feel so safe that I took the job here with zero hesitations."
"I am Dr. Chavez, I'm the head of the psychology department here." A man with a very impressive moustache says.
"He looks like a grump, but he's really a big teddy bear." Cal whispers.
"Hey! I'm trying to be intimidating here Cal!" Dr. Chavez chuckles.
"Oh you are sir."
"Good!"
"And I'm the fake grump's wife, also Dr. Chavez but in Pediatrics. Cal was in my wing more times than any of us want to admit." She speaks softly.

"But I was always safe with you, all of you."
"And now you have the LaRussos and Robby to be safe with." Dr. Kim smiles.
"Yeah, I do." Cal looks to Robby, who is already smiling at her.
"Haven't seen that look in ages." Dr. Kim titters, earning soft chuckles from the rest of the group.
"What look?" Cal laughs.
"The look of love you Guerrero's get. Your dad had it with her before everything changed and then we saw it when they had you, just different. Now we get to see it with you and Robby."

"So don't fuck this up like Maria did!" Dr. Chavez says sternly.
"Dave!"
"What?!"
"Sorry about that Robby."
"No, no, it's fine. It's honestly nice. I'm glad Cal has so many people in her corner!"
"Oh always! She's our little baby doll!" Dr. Merchant coos.

"Baby doll?" Robby questions looking to Cal.
Cal rolls her eyes, "They call me baby doll because when I was born I looked like a porcelain doll, and the name stuck since I've always been pale and small and well, breakable."
"She means to say we've always seen her as beautiful like a little porcelain baby doll." Dr. Kim looks at Cal with a raised brow.
"Right... that's why."
"Hey don't you roll your eyes at us!"
"Yeah cmon flower." Robby chuckles, hearing gasps.

"Oh... did I do something wrong?" He asks worriedly.
"No! No! We just, when Cal was a baby that's what Jackson called her, little flower."
"He did?" Cal asks confused.
"You don't remember?"
"No... why don't I? My memory is impeccable!"
"You were so small. When you moved back here... he just stopped. Maria didn't like it for some reason, no one ever knew why... It's just nice to hear it again from someone who loves you."
"Is it okay that I keep calling you that Cal?" Robby asks her softly, not wanting to encroach upon the memory of her father.
"Yes. Please."
"Okay flower." Cal smiles, leaning her head against his shoulder, earning aww's from the phone making the teens laugh.

"We're so happy for you Cal. Truthfully. We can't even begin to tell you how much it means to us that you're safe, happy, and loved." Dr. Kim smiles.
"And Robby, thank you for treating our baby doll so well. We can't thank you enough for the love and care you've showed her. Knowing that she has someone to lean on, to love and be loved by - it makes us feel infinitely better about not being there with her in person."
"Thank you for helping to make her the person she is today. I don't think I would have had a single chance if she wasn't brought up with the knowledge of forgiveness and care for others."
"We were more than happy to be there for her and her father." Nurse Nancy assures them both.

"Maybe when it's safe you two can come visit us? We're trying to find Maria to get her into treatment, it's been hard but we keep at it for Cal."
"Thank you. I'm sorry, I know it's a big ask."
"No honey, don't you worry, we are happy to try to help her. I know it hasn't been of much use in the past but maybe losing you will force her to get well since she no longer has you to rely on."
"I hope so."
"We do too sweetheart." Dr. Chavez smiles under his moustache.

"We'd love to talk with you two again if that's okay? Our times of availability are a bit weird but since you're living together now, we'd love to speak to you when we can? If that's okay with Robby of course!"
"I'd love that." Robby nods, smiling.
"Good! Well, we will let you two go, have an appendectomy coming in." Dr. Kim laughs.
"It's good to see you again baby doll."
"It was great to see you all!"

"And it was lovely to meet you Robby. Keep our baby doll safe, okay?"
"Course, but I promise she can handle herself, you should see her when we're in the dojo! She's amazing!"
"You'll have to tape her for us! She doesn't want to show off!"
"She's incredibly humble. I took her to a karaoke night and she knocked it out of the park! But she was so cute and shy about it when people came up to tell her how amazing she was." Robby chuckles.
"Keep getting her out there. Maybe with enough praise she'll start to believe it!"
"Will do!"
"We'll talk to you two later! Love you!" A chorus of "love you's" emanate from the rest of the group before the call ends.

"They're great, really Cal."
"Yeah, they are. I'm lucky to have family in two states... and now you do too."
"I do?"
"Yeah. They love you Robby. They love that you love me. That you've worked to make yourself better, to make our relationship better - they want that for me, someone who works for a better life and wants me in it with them." Robby smiles, looking down at his lap.
"I definitely want you in it with me."
Cal smiles, tilting his chin up, "Then I'll be with you, for as long as you'll have me."
"How's forever sound?" The two share a soft chuckle.
"I think I can get with that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Cal grins, leaving a soft kiss on his lips.